Israel has determined that its military did not engage in criminal behavior when it carried out an airstrike in Gaza that resulted in the deaths of a Canadian citizen and six other aid workers two years ago. The military prosecutor in Israel announced the decision not to pursue a criminal investigation into the April 2024 airstrikes that targeted a convoy of World Central Kitchen vehicles, claiming the lives of Jacob Flickinger from Quebec, a Palestinian individual, and aid workers from the UK, Australia, and the US.
In response to this decision, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand expressed strong disapproval, labeling it as “unacceptable.” She pointed out significant flaws in the strike operation and criticized the lack of accountability for the families affected by the tragedy. Anand emphasized the importance of safeguarding humanitarian personnel in conflict areas and stressed Canada’s commitment to upholding international humanitarian law by demanding a thorough investigation and justice for the deceased workers.
World Central Kitchen, the organization responsible for distributing food aid in Gaza, contested the military’s version of events, highlighting discrepancies and calling for an independent inquiry into the incident. The military statement released on Wednesday acknowledged that the individuals in the targeted vehicles were mistakenly identified as armed Hamas members. Although two officers were removed from their positions and three others were reprimanded, the military concluded that there was no evidence of criminal misconduct by the commanding officers.
The decision by Israel sparked outrage in Australia, where the foreign minister summoned the Israeli ambassador to address the issue. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong criticized the lack of adequate accountability for the death of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom, despite the IDF’s acknowledgment of failures in following procedures and mistaken identification leading to the airstrikes. Wong described the timing of the announcement, coinciding with World Humanitarian Day, as particularly offensive.
Furthermore, the Israeli military disclosed its decision not to pursue criminal action regarding the deaths of four Doctors Without Borders staffers in separate incidents in November 2023 and February 2024. In response to the tragedy involving the World Central Kitchen workers, former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for an impartial and expeditious investigation beyond the Israeli military’s internal review. Trudeau strongly rejected the notion that collateral deaths are acceptable in wartime, especially involving humanitarian workers risking their lives to aid those in dire need.
Prior to Anand’s statement, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East criticized Prime Minister Mark Carney’s silence on the matter, expressing concerns that it could lead to Israel escaping accountability for the death of a Canadian aid worker without repercussions.